Lasts



Sept. 26, 1961 F. H. HOLLEY 5 LASTS Filed May 4, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR FR/W/r HAPRY Haw A TTORNE) p 6, 1961 F. H. HOLLEY 3,001,215

LASTS Filed May 4, 1959 a Sheets-Sheet 2 FRANK HANK Y HDLLLEY WM Jillqr A TTORNE Y5 F. H. HOLLEY Sept. 26, 1961 LASTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 4, 1959 ATTORNEYS 3,001,215 Patented Sept. 26, 1961 ice 3,001,215 LASTS Frank H. Holley, Somerset, England, assign'or, by mesne assignments, to Strode Components Limited, Somerset, England, a company of Great Britain Filed May 4, 1959, Ser. No. 810,757 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 21, 1953 6 Claims. (Cl. 12136) This invention relates to folding lasts as employed in the making and repairing of footwear, hereinafter referred to as shoes, and is concerned with sectional fold ing lasts in which the last comprisestwo parts hingedly .joined together and is constructed with a view to effecting a shortening in the overall length of the last to facilitate its removal from a completed shoe as are well known. It has also been recognised as important that this shortening action takes place immediately the joint of the last is broken, in order that the overall length of the last should not be increased.

In two-part lasts known hitherto there has, however, been a tendency for the last to increase Very slightly in length during the joint breaking action, and in some shoe constructions even this slight increase results in fracture or rupture of the shoe upper material along a so-called draught line of the shoe.

The present invention is concerned with two-part folding lasts of the kind in which the two parts of the last, that is, the heel part and the forepart, are interconnected permanently by a-linkage which maintains the two last parts in position as one part is swung about a pivotal centre relatively to the other part. The improved last according to this invention is so constructed that this pivotal centre is so situated that the angle between a line drawn from that centre to any point on the heel contour curve and the tangent at that point is less than a right-angle; the reason for this requirement is explained later.

The invention may be considered as providing a twopart hinged last in which the centre of pivoting of the heel end of the last relatively to the forepart thereof is located outside of the last.

A two-part last in accordance with this invention may embody a pin-and-slot connection between the two last parts in the form of pins carried by one last part and a slotted link fixed to the other last part. The meeting faces of the heel and foreparts of the last may be of circular arc form and clearance provided on the forepart so that the heel part can move arcuately upon or over said forepart meeting face.

In preferred embodiments a hinge device is employed having a link of plate form secured within a recess formed in the front of the heel part of the last and received within an upwardly-opening, forwardly-extending recess in the rear portion of the forepart of the last. That portion of the link plate which projects into the forepart recess is formed with two slots, which receive snugly two transversely disposed pins inserted into holes in the walls of the forepart recess. The centre of curvature of the meeting faces of the two last parts is situated outside of the last and the two slots in the link plate (which are not necessarily of circular arc form) are so disposed that as the heel part is swung in relation to the forepart there is, from the very commencement of the swinging movement, no possibility of the heel part tending to move backwards so as to increase the maximum permissible overall length of the last.

In order to maintain the two parts of the last in the extended position, that is, at the position of maximum permissible overall length, a retention device would generally be necessary, and such a retention device is provided in the link plate described in said copending specification in the nature of a springy latch associated with the link plate and preferably forming an integral part of said plate.

Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated, by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through one form of two-part last, shown in its extended position, and i1- lustrating one form of link or hinge plate;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the link or hinge plate employed in the last illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section on line III--III of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, in so far as concerns the form of the last, but showing a slightly different form of the link or hinge plate shown in FIGURES 1 to 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through another form of two-part last according to the invention, showing more clearly desired geometrical features of a last made in accordance with this invention and illustrating a third form of link or hinge plate;

FIGURE 6 shows separately the hinge plate used in the last illustrated in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a dimensioned view of a typical example of the hinge plate shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view, to an enlarged scale, of part of the hinge shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 are views showing lasts of high, medium and low pitch and toe spring respectively, to illustrate that the main characteristic features of the invention applies to these various classes of lasts-FIGURE 10 is the same last as shown in FIGURE 5, but is repeated for purposes of comparison with FIGURES 9 and 11; and

FIGURES l2 and 13 are elevational views of two further forms of link or hinge plates suitable for lasts made in accordance with this invention.

The advantage of using a last comprising two relatively rnovable parts is well recognised and a number of twopart lasts have been proposed and employed.

During the process of sole laying in the shoe factory pressures up to pounds per square inch are exerted in the opposing directions as indicated by arrows A, A1, A2 in FIGURE 5, a form of last to be described later and with known forms of hinged two-part lasts there is a tendency for the links or hinges, and any biasing springs used, to give, so that the joint between. the two parts opens upoften called breaking back in the shoe industry-thus altering the bottom line profile of the last; this breaking back" is detrimental to the pitch and spring of the shoe.

Although continuous shortening may be present in known lasts as the last is broken, there is in many cases insufiicient shortening. As to what constitutes suflicient shortening it is considered correct to assert that this exists when the last moves away from the back seam of a shoe in all positions during the last breakin action. All lasts are, of course, much wider just above the seat line than they are in the region of the top of the shoe and during the last slipping operation the action of forcing this wide section through the narrower top opening of the shoe causes the back seam of the shoe to move forward, thus tightening on the heel curve of the last; hence sufficient shortening should ensure clearance from the back seam throughout last breaking.

The essential characteristics of a good last, which is efficient in operation and can be economically produced, would appear therefore to reside in one which not only consists of two parts permanently secured together by a simple hinge device, and not requiring the use of a key or other implement to release the last for breaking, but also one which immediately commences to shorten on breaking, continues to shorten during breaking and affords sufficient overall shortening to ensure that the back seam of the shoe never binds on the heel curve of the last during breaking.

All of the foregoing desirable characteristics are con cerned rather with the form of the last, that is, the geometrical shapes and the inter-relation of the two parts of the last and they are all present in a last made in accordance with this invention, that is, one in which the effecting centre of pivoting of the heel part in relation to the forepart is located below the bottom face of the last, that is, outside the last.

It is to be understood that the expression centre of pivoting refers to that point about which the heel part pivots in relation to the forepart--that is, a centre which may be located outside the bounds of the last itselfand not to the centre of rotation of a hinge, for instance, a hinge pin in the forepart about which one end of the hinge may rotate.

It will be evident that a further essential characteristic is the provision of sufiicient strength in the last to prevent breakback, the link or hinge plate, although slotted and otherwise apertured to permit of ready mounting within recesses in the forepart and heel part and of cooperation with transverse pivot and guide pins, is nevertheless provided with a sturdy back bar portion (viewing the hinge as disposed when the last bottom is positioned lowermost) which withstands all the stretching tendencies placed upon the hinge during the break back action. If a properly designed metal hinge, that is, one having such a sturdy back bar, is strained toward breaking point the wood of which the last is made is likely to rupture before any linear extension of the hinge appears.

In the two-part last shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 the link plate 1 is of asymmetrical trapezoidal shape and had one end thereof inserted within a forwardly opening recess 2 provided in the front portion of the heel part 3 of the last and fixedly secured therein by two transverse pins 4 which pass snuglythrough holes 5 in said link plate 1. The link plate 1 projects forwardly from the heel part 3 and is received within an upwardly opening forwardly extending recess 6 in the rear portion of the forepart 7. The heel part 3 and forepart 7 are formed with equal radii arcuate meeting faces 8, 9 respectively, the centre of curvature 10 of said faces being locaed in this case not only below the draught line 11 of the last, but also as shown, the centre 10 is outside of the last itself.

In the forward portion of the link plate 1 are two arcuate slots 12, 13, the radii of which are struck from the centre of curvature 10 of meeting faces 8, 9. A step 14 at the lower end of forepart meeting face 9 co operates with a complementary notch 15 in the heel part meeting face 8 to provide a firm seating for the forepart of the inverted last during operations performed on lasted uppers and sole components, thereby relieving the link plate 1 of strain.

A springy latch 16 forming an integral part of link plate 1 constitutes one side of slot 12 and the free end of said latch 16 engages a pin 17 which extends transversely of the heel part recess 2 and is snugly received in said slot 12, while the last is in the extended position as shown, that is, with the pin 17 situated at one end of said slot 12. Another pin 18 in recess 2 similarly engages slot 13, but a second latch will usually be unnecessary. A. vertical line intersecting the centre of curvature 10 lies approximately midway between pins 17, 18. It will be noted that a sturdy, substantially inextensible back bar 19 is provided, the advantages of which are hereinafter referred to.

FIGURE 4 of the accompanying drawings show a hinge plate which differs from the arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 3 only in that the link plate slots 12 and 13 are straight instead of curved.

The two hinges already described and each of some other suitable forms of hinges hereinafter described, incorporates in its construction another desirable feature,

namely an integral cantilever spring which is adapted to resist all shoe drafting or lasting strains and to force the two parts of the last back into alignment, particularly into bottom face alignment, in the event of any slight movement or play arising therebetween.

In all cases it is desirable also to keep the depth of the hinge as small as possible consistent with the required strength thereof, not only for economy in material and labour costs in hinge production but also to reduce to a minimum the amount of wood to be machined out of the last parts to form recesses therein to house the hinge. Excessive recess slotting has been the cause of failure in many known lasts due to splitting of the last wood, so that reduction in the size of the hinge may have an appreciable elfect on the strength of a last, especially ashallow last; in some deep lasts the depth of the hinge is, of course, not so important.

FIGURE 5 serves not only to illustrate more clearly the sufiiciency of shortening obtained in a last made in accordance with this invention, but also shows a form of last which the centre of pivoting 10 lies substantially on or at the bottomline or face 11 that is, not exactly outside of the last as in the FIGURE 1 construction. As already intimated herein it is important, in order to ensure shortening throughout the opening or breaking movement of the last, that the centre of pivoting 10 is so located that the angle A between a line drawn from centre 10 to any point on the heel contour curve 21 and the tangent at that point is less than three such lines 22 with their tangents are shown in FIGURE 5. This geometrical arrangement ensures that every such point on the curve 21 at any position of opening is moving away from the heel seam of the shoe.

It may also prove advantageous to incorporate another feature in a last made in accordance with this invention, a feature which concerns both the geometrical form of the last and also the mounting of the hinge. In connection with FIGURE I, mention has already been made to making the meeting faces of the forepart and heel part of circular arc form, and with a view to causing the meeting surfaces to move apart during breaking, but to be pulled tighter together when break back pressure is applied, the centre of curvature of the meeting faces may be offset from the centre of pivoting of the heel part in relation to the forepart.

This offsetting of the centre of curvature of the meeting faces 8, 9 from the centre of pivoting 10 of the heel part 3 relatively to the forepart 7 is illustrated in FIGURE 5 and designated (with some exaggeration) by reference character 23; that is, the substantially equal radii R of faces 8, 9 are struck from centre 10A, whereas the curved slots 31, 33 have their radii R1, R2 struck from centre 10.

For purposes of comparison, FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 illustrate on the same scale lasts of high, medium and low pitch and toe spring, FIGURE 10 being substantially a repetition on a smaller scale of FIGURE 5. These figures clearly show that whatever the class of last required the main characteristic feature of this invention can be usefully employed, that is, in all cases the centre of pivoting 10 of the heel part 3 relatively to the forepart 7 lies below the bottom face 11 of the last.

In FIGURES 5, 9, l0 and 11, the conventional hushed socket, which receives during various shoe-making operations a rigid supporting rod or pillar, is indicated by reference letter z; said socket z is provided in the heel part of the last.

The expression draught line hereinbefore employed has more than one meaning in the footwear industry. For instance, the bottom face 11 of the last (FIGURE 5) is often referred to as the draught line. In other cases draught line is used in a more general sense, as indieating a plane on which rupture of shoe upper material may occur on account of excessive increase in the overall length of a folding last during the last breaking action. It is to be understood that lasts according to this invention are made with this latter'and wider meaning in mind, although it will be evident that in some cases the narrower meaning applies, that is, where the centre of pivoting of the heel part lies outside of the last, that is, below the so-called draught line or face 11.

The particular form of link plate 25 employed in the last shown in FIGURE 5 is shown separately in FIGURE 6, where the narrowest part of the back bar 19 is located approximately at position 26, and is amply sufiicient to prevent flexure of said back bar 19. The plate 25 incorporates an integral cantilever spring 16 which is formed along the bottom of said plate and obviates the need of a third slot behind the spring as in the constructions shown in FIGURES 1 to 4.

The spring 16, from position 27 approximately, gradually narrows in depth until near its junction with the head 28, and the spring 16 is set so that it is biased inwards to leave a gap 29 between the seating 30 on spring head 28 and the inner end of slot 31 (equivalent to slot 12 in FIGURES 1 to 4) which is slightly less than the diameter of pin 17 which is received therebetween. The shape of the spring head 28 is such that from about position 32 where the slot width equals approximately the diameter of pin 17 the slot 31 narrows appreciably. Slot 31 opens out at the bottom edge of link plate 25 so as not to restrain the cantilever spring 16.

Although slot 31 freely communicates with slot 33 the connecting passageway 34, on the right of spring head 28 in FIGURE 5, is sufiiciently restricted to ensure that pin 18 could not pass out of slot 33 even when the spring 16 was being forced downwards by pin 17. The disposition of the link plate 25 relatively to the two parts of a last made in accordance with this invention has already been described.

In order to ensure efiicient operation it is important that the hinge plate 25 and particularly its cantilever spring 16 and the associated slots 31 and 33 be accurately formed. FIGURES 7 and 8 give dimensions for one typical size of hinge plate, the datum for the centres of curved parts being the centre line of socket z or the centre of radius of slots 31, 33; FIGURE 8 in particular shows how the spring 16 normally biases its head 28 into the gap to be occupied at times by pin 17. For convenience of manufacture several comparatively thin plates may be used instead of one thick plate as indicated in FIGURE 3.

The link plate 25 shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 is of particular value on account of its small depth which renders it suitable for use on shallow lasts, that is, lasts of low pitch and toe spring as illustrated in FIGURE 11, the same link being equally suitable for lasts of high pitch and toe spring as illustrated in FIGURE 9 and those of medium pitch and toe spring as illustrated in FIGURE 5 (and repeated in FIGURE Hinge links of other shapes are, however, also suitable for lasts made in accordance with this invention, that is, in addition to the modified form already described with reference to FIGURE 4. FIGURE 12, for instance, shows another form of link 35 in which the cantilever spring 16 is formed by providing an aperture 36 which in elfect constitutes an enlargement of slot 13 in FIGURES 1 to 4. Another form of link 37 is illustrated in FIGURE 13, where slots 38, 39 (equivalent to slots 12, 13 respectively in FIGURES 1 to 4) intercommunicate by a narrow passageway 40, slot 38 being narrowed in the vicinity of said passageway 40, and where a third slot 41, equivalent to the third spring-forming slot of FIGURES 1 to 4, leads via narrow slots 42 to the holes 43 which receive pins 4 carried by the heel part 3 of the last. In both of these further modifications FIGURES 12 and 13, the characteristic features of a sturdy back portion 19 and of an integral cantilever spring 16 are present.

I claim:

1. A two-part hinged last comprising a heel part having a longitudinally curved front end of circular arc form and a recess extending in from said front end; a forepart having an arch portion and a sole portion and having a curved rear end complementary to said curved front end of said heel part and a recess extending in from said rear end, said curved front and rear ends remaining substantially in sliding contact throughout their whole lengths, at least two cross pins bridging said forepart recess; and a link plate having one end secured in said heel part recess and having its other end movable within said forepart recess, said link plate having at least two slots therein each embracing a forepart cross pin, said pin and slot connection guiding said heel part as it pivots in relation to said forepart, the centre of pivoting of said heel part and the centre of curvature of said circular arc heel front end and forepart rear end being substantially coincident and located outside and beneath the arch portion of the forepart of the last.

2. A two-part hinged last comprising a heel part having a longitudinally concaved front end of a circular arc form with a recess extending in therefrom; a forepart having an arch portion and a sole portion and having a convexed rear end complementary to said concaved heel part front end with a recess extending in from said curved rear end; a pair of cross pins bridging said forepart recess; and a link plate having one end secured in said heel part recess and having its other end movable within said forepart recess, said link plate having a pair of slots of circular arc form embracing said forepart cross pins for guiding said heel part as it pivots in relation to said forepart, the common centre of curvature of said circular arc slots which with said pins control the pivoting of said heel part and the common centre of curvature of said circular arc concaved and convexed ends being substantially coincident and located outside and beneath the arch portion of the forepart of the last, whereby said heel front end and forepart rear end remain in sliding contact throughout opening and closing movements of the last.

3. A two-part hinged last comprising a heel part having a longitudinally concavely curved front end of circular arc form with a recess extending in from said front end; a forepart having an arch portion and a sole portion and having a longitudinally convexly curved rear end complementary to said heel part front end and with a recess extending in from said rear end; a pair of cross pins bridging said forepart recess; and a link plate having one end secured in said heel part recess and having its other end movable within said forepart recess, said link plate having a pair of arcuate slots each embracing one of said forepart cross pins for guiding said heel part as it pivots in relation to said forepart, the centre of curvature of said concavely curved front end of said heel part being slightly offset from the centre of curvature of said convexly curved rear end of said forepart to draw said heel part front end tightly onto said forepart rear end as the last is closed, and said curved end centres and the common centre of curvature of said arcuate slots which with said pins control the pivoting of said heel part being all located outside and beneath the arch portion of the forepart of the last.

4. A two-part hinged last comprising a heel part having a longitudinally concavely curved front end of circular arc form with a recess extending in from said front end; at least one fixing pin transversely bridging said heel part recess; a forepart having an arch portion and a sole portion and having a longitudinally convexly curved rear end of circular arc form and complementary to said heel part front end, whereby said curved front and rear ends are in close sliding contact one upon the other as the last is closed and opened, and with a recess extending in from said rear end; a pair of pivot pins transversely bridging said forepart recess, a link plate having at one end at least one hole for receiving said at least one fixing pin for securing said plate in said heel part recess with its other end projecting into said forepart recess, and said link plate having in said other end a pair of concentric circular arc slots having a common centre of curvature, said slots embracing said forepart pivot pins for guiding said heel part as its pivots in relation to said forepart, the common centre of curvature of said slots which with said pivot pins control the pivoting of said heel part and the centres of curvature of said concavely and conveXly curved ends being located outside and beneath the arch portion of the forepart of the last.

5. A two-part hinged last comprising a heel part having a longitudinally concavely curved front end of circular arc form with a recess extending in from said front end; a pair of fixing pins transversely bridging said heel part recess, a forepart having an arch portion and a sole portion and having longitudinally convexly curved rear end of circular arc form with a recess extending in from said rear end; a pair of pivot pins transversely bridging said forepart recess; and a link plate having at one end a pair of holes for receiving said fixing pins for securing said plate in said heel part recess with its other end projecting into said forepart recess, said link plate having in said other end a single aperture comprising inner and outer concentric circular arc slots having a common centre of curvature and intercornmunicating at a constricted throat, and said outer slot opening out at an edge of said plate so that the material between said outer slot and said plate edge constitutes a springy latch for pieldably retaining one of said pivot pins at said throat at the inner end of said outer slot when the last is closed, the other pivot pin being then at the inner end of said inner slot, the centre of curvature of said circular arc slots, about which the heel part pivots in relation to the forepart and the centre of curvature of said concavely and convexly curved ends being substantially coincident and located outside and beneath the arch portion of the forepart of the last.

6. A two-part hinged last as claimed in claim 5, wherein the centre of curvature of the heel part front end is slightly offset in relation to that of the forepart rear end, so that the former binds tightly upon the latter when the last is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,877 Gordon Apr. 7, 1891 1,448,042 Shanisey Mar. 13, 1923 1,558,269 Millay Oct. 20, 1925 1,933,098 Donnett Oct. 31, 1933 2,165,006 Reinhart July 4, 1939 2,899,696 Otto Aug. 18, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,622 Great Britain of 1914 705,323 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1954 1,052,343 France Sept. 23, 1953 

